Page 5 of Risky Match
“We do. This dinner is bittersweet for both of us.”
It’s so rare for me to be able to have such a candid conversation with anyone. Brianna and I have so many parallel, yet different experiences.
“Brianna, I can’t think of a better word than bittersweet. To be honest, If I hadn’t met you, I would have already left to mourn my loss.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve made it harder for you.”
Squeezing her shoulder and pulling her closer, I say, “You’ve done the exact opposite. You’re the best part of tonight.”
“I could say the same thing about you. Can I share a secret?” she asks as she rests her head against my chest.
“Absolutely.”
“I was looking for an excuse to leave too. My plan was to go back to my hotel suite and drown my regrets in a gigantic bowl of bacio gelato with a flute of champagne.”
“Great minds think alike. Escape was my answer. But what flavor is bacio?”
She pulls back, looking at me like I’m from outer space. “I can’t believe you’ve never had bacio gelato. You have to try it.”
“If I can find some, I will. The smile it puts on your face tells me I wouldn’t want to go through life without tasting it.”
She pushes back from me, exuding elation and excitement, saying, “I have the perfect idea. Come to my hotel suite. I could use the company. We’ll drown our sorrows in gelato and champagne and watch old movies.”
Is she really inviting me back to her hotel for ice cream? Her security detail will never let that happen.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“Absolutely.”
She looks at me with such determination that I can’t question her motives or her intent.
Without hesitation, I say, “I can’t turn down an offer like that.”
“Excellent. We must be careful though. The last thing I need is the tabloids writing more stories about me. That means we can’t leave this dinner together. I’ll go with one of my guards. The other one will stay behind and arrange for you to meet me.”
A hint of jealousy burns through me, causing me to ask, “Do you arrange such clandestine meetings often?”
She looks at me in shock. “Never. But I’m tired of living by the rules all the time. I’d like to be naughty for just one night.
“You’re amazing. Let’s do this.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Oliver to find you in the ballroom.”
Forty-five minutes later,I stand outside Brianna’s hotel suite in somewhat of a daze. I’m not sure what I’m doing here. Was her invitation for gelato nothing more than that or was it an unspoken request for more? I’m assuming the former given that she was so direct in our interactions at the gala. Part of me hopes I’m wrong.
There’s something special about her. She’s like a siren beckoning me. There was no way I would have turned down her request, so I’m here.
I knock on the door. I wait.
As I raise my fist to knock again, Brianna opens the door, looking at me with what I sense is a combination of questioning and longing. Does she regret extending the invitation? Or is she also confused about the chemistry between us?
My thoughts are interrupted as she says, “Come in. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Thanks.”
I walk into her spacious hotel suite. Taking in the expanse, most would consider this a luxury apartment with its marble floors, plush furnishings, and glass wall of windows overlooking the Thames.
My gaze quickly returns to Brianna though. I thought she was hot in her fancy clothes at the gala, but she’s even more inviting in her casual purple top and white cotton trousers.
